Alexander Wang denies running a 'sweatshop'

Alexander Wang has refuted allegations that his New York factory was a sweatshop in the wake of a $450m lawsuit over working conditions.

The company takes its obligations to comply with the law very seriously, including the relevant wage and hour regulations, the payment of overtime to eligible employees and having a safe working environment for all of our employees, a company representative told WWD. We will vehemently defend any allegations to the contrary.

The suit, filed by a group of around 30 Wang employees, alleges that the designer violated New York labour laws governing minimum wage and overtime. Lead plaintiff Wenyu Lu contended that workers were expected to labour for 16-hour days in an unventilated, windowless 200-square-foot room, without collecting overtime payment.

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A lot of the workers are new immigrants and they dont speak English, Lus lawyer Ming Hai said. They work long hours. Its like a new kind of slavery.

The plaintiffs have sued for $50m for each of the suits nine charges.

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